Faithful praise pope's message of inclusion

Catholics attending services around the globe said they were heartened by Pope Francis' remarks that the church had become too focused on "small-minded rules" on issues like homosexuality, abortion and contraceptives.

Worshippers on Sunday applauded what they heard as a message of inclusion from the man who assumed the papacy just six months ago.

"I think he's spot on," said Shirley Holzknecht, 77, a retired school principal attending a service in the US state of Arkansas. "As Catholic Christians, we do need to be more welcoming."

In Havana, Cuba, Irene Delgado said the church needed to adapt to modern times. "The world evolves, and I believe that the Catholic Church is seeing that it is being left behind, and that is not good," said Delgado, 57. "So I think that they chose this Pope Francis because he is progressive, has to change things."

Francis, in an interview published on Thursday in 16 Jesuit journals worldwide, called the church's focus on abortion, marriage and contraception narrow and said that it was driving people away.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the pope's words were welcome. "He's captured the world's imagination," Dolan said after mass at St Patrick's Cathedral in New York. "Like Jesus, he's always saying, 'Hate the sin, love the sinner'."

But Dolan said Francis' change in tone did not signal a change in doctrine.